


sea of voices

by spacelamps



Category: Persona 5
Genre: ....... for the most part i took liberties at the end but ykNOW, 2/2 fic!, Ambiguous/Open Ending, Canon Compliant, Gen, HELLA spoilers for p5r if you don't know anything abt the third sem don't read this, I CAN RATE THIS AS G AKECHI SAYS FUCK ONLY ONCE, kinda!! kinda., look i just think their friendship is neat!, squints. is it rly character death if he's already technically dead., this wasn't written through shipping goggles but yall are free to read this however you want tbh
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-02
Updated: 2021-02-02
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:55:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,401
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29096877
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spacelamps/pseuds/spacelamps
Summary: It’s just… not fair. How come he has to save the world,twice? How comehewas the one who had to shoot a god and put a therapist with a god complex the size of the universe back into his place? How come he has to do all of this and not get anything out of it?How is it that he can save humanity and not the person he cares about?
Relationships: Akechi Goro & Amamiya Ren, Akechi Goro & Kurusu Akira, Akechi Goro & Persona 5 Protagonist
Comments: 7
Kudos: 17





	sea of voices

**Author's Note:**

> so if you guys want anyone to blame please blame my friends reb and alex this is their fault i genuinely wasn't planning on writing anything for 2/2. anyway.
> 
> p5r spoilers!! obviously. i did my best to cut back on canon dialogue but i _did_ have the conversation pulled up and referenced it some, solely because i didn't want to go too off-script? also this wouldn't have had an ambiguous ending if it weren't for alex so. i guess yall can thank her for that.

Nothing feels real. It’s like the rug just got swept out from under him, like he’d been doused in cold water.

_This issue doesn’t only affect you, Kurusu-kun… It involves Akechi-kun, too._

He barely remembers to throw the calling card at Maruki. His little quip about it barely registers.

He doesn’t know when he stood up. Doesn’t know how he and Akechi started arguing.

The only thing that registers is that Akechi is throwing his life away, that he thinks he doesn’t mean anything, that he thinks _so_ ** _fucking_** **_little_** _of himself—_

“This isn’t _TRIVIAL_!” Akira shouts, barely recognizing his own voice. He feels his hands shaking and his vision is blurring.

“Yes. It. IS!” Akechi snaps back, eyes ablaze with a furious fire. 

“When will you understand that there’s people who actually _care about you_?!”

He doesn’t realize he’s speaking, doesn’t register the words as _his_ until he sees Akechi’s expression, staring at him in… what? Disbelief? It’s easy to write it off as that, knowing him.

Whatever it is, it’s gone before Akira can put a name to it.

Akechi shakes his head, narrowing his eyes and clenching his fists as he glares at Akira. “So what will it be, Kurusu?” he snaps. “Do you think I’d be _happy_ like this? Being shown mercy now, at all times? I don’t want to be _pitied_ , especially not at a time like this. Your _indecisiveness_ is essentially a betrayal of my wishes.”

Akira stares at him, feeling his hands shake. He knows what the right option is, but…

He doesn’t know if he has the guts to say it.

Akechi sneers. “I won’t wait a moment longer. What do you intend to do?”

It feels like a weight settles somewhere in the back of his lungs as he speaks. “We’re stopping Maruki.”

He forces himself to look at Akechi as he speaks, watching as the other’s face flickers from frustration to unadulterated relief.

“Alright. I’m relieved to hear it.”

Akira knows it was the right decision.

“I’ll never accept this form of reality. I’m _done_ being manipulated.”

So why does it feel like the wrong one?

“Let’s go back… to our true reality.”

It feels like being shot, watching Akechi leave LeBlanc.

* * *

It feels similar, almost; reminds him of a late night in December, surrounded by his team.

He’s losing someone close to him again, too—except this time, he _knew_ it was coming; had no one else but himself to blame for the events happening.

_This isn’t TRIVIAL!_

It’s just… not _fair_. How come he has to save the world, _twice_? How come _he_ was the one who had to shoot a god and put a therapist with a god complex the size of the universe back into his place? How come he has to do all of this and not get anything out of it?

How is it that he can save humanity and not the person he cares about?

_Yes. It. IS!_

He looks out the window of the Monacopter, having been pulled up and crammed in amongst his friends. It’s such a beautiful view, he thinks, staring out at the city as it slowly evaporates into a sea of shining dots.

The person he’s pressed up against shifts slightly, and Akira finds himself clinging onto their wrist. He’s rewarded with a tired, frustrated sigh.

“Joker-” the person behind him starts to grumble, but Akira squeezes Akechi’s wrist. It’s awkward—trying to fumble around and manage to face his rival, especially with his mask in the way. Akechi stares at him, confusion clear even when most of his face is hidden beneath his mask.

“I’m sorry,” Akira says quietly, barely heard over the soft chatter of the other Thieves. “I-” He cuts himself off, shaking his head. “I just wish…”

“Akira.” He blinks, glancing up in surprise. Akechi’s pushed his mask back, somehow, but it allows Akira to meet the other’s eyes with nothing in the way.

Akira sighs, shoulders falling as he glances down at where he’s holding onto Akechi. “I know.” It’s soft, barely mumbled. “I need to stop thinking about it, right?” He sounds… bitter. But, well, he can’t be blamed for that, can he now?

He doesn’t let Akechi go. The lights outside are growing brighter.

“I still have your glove,” Akira says, eyes narrowing slightly. He knows his expression is one of pain.

“You…”

It doesn’t take much—there isn’t any space to shift forward, and they’re already close. Akira releases Akechi’s wrist, and before the other can question what he’s doing, he’s leaning forward and wrapping his arms around Akechi, who stiffens from surprise.

“Can you do me a favor?” Akira says quietly.

If he closes his eyes he can still see the lights.

“Once we get out of here, come find me.”

“Don’t be stupid,” Akechi mumbles. Akira feels him slowly relaxing in his hold. “Dealing in theoreticals like this isn’t good for you.”

“You know where I’m from, and you have my number,” Akira presses on, ignoring Akechi. He stares at a spot on the floor. “If you won’t come and find me, reach out. I won’t stop looking for you.”

He feels Akechi sigh.

To his surprise, he feels Akechi wrapping his arms around him in a loose hold. He rests his chin on Akira’s shoulder.

Akira tightens his grip.

“I’ll do what I can,” Akechi finally says. “Just… please. Don’t get your hopes up.”

“Hey, Goro,” Akira mumbles, fisting the back of Akechi’s stupid outfit. He feels the other tense, hears his breathing hitch slightly at the use of his name. “I care about you.”

He doesn’t say anything when Akechi shoves his forehead against Akira’s shoulder and holds him tighter. “You’re so fucking _stupid_ ,” he whispers.

Akira snorts. “Yeah, I know.”

Light slowly trickles into the Monacopter. He can hear his friends talking excitedly—they’re almost back home, in their true reality, where and how everything _should_ be.

Akira feels Goro slipping through his fingers.

“Please don’t go,” Akira whispers, shocked to find himself so choked up. He feels like a scared little kid. “I’ll- I’ll see you later, alright?”

“It better be at the Jazz Jin,” Goro says quietly. “If not, I’ll see you at LeBlanc.”

Akira huffs a laugh, blinking back tears. He has to close his eyes now, due to the light. “Of course,” he says, in a forced, teasing tone. “Maybe I’ll finally beat you at chess.”

“You wish,” Goro grumbles. His grip on Akira tightens. “If only…”

Akira forces his eyes open and pulls back, just slightly, to try and look at Goro.

He hears the soft whispers of something. It sounds almost like the wind; feels like a faint presence that should be there but is gone.

He hears the sound of glass shattering, somewhere in the back of his mind, and by the time his eyes adjust, Goro Akechi is gone.

* * *

He steps onto the platform, peering down the line to see how far out the train is.

It feels weird, knowing that he’s leaving Tokyo today. The last year had been a complete and total tidal wave; Akira isn’t even sure how he would even _begin_ describe it.

The train rolls into the station and Akira sighs, shifting the bag on his shoulder. He’s thankful for the familiar weight of Morgana; grounding and reassuring.

(he thinks of how morgana was able to return, but he’d yet to see any sign from goro-)

The train slows down and the doors open with a _woosh_. Akira forces his way on and claims his seat.

He sets Morgana down in the seat next to him and slumps back into the seat, staring out the window.

He feels his phone buzz in his hand—probably the group chat, wishing him well.

Before he can check his phone, something outside the window catches his eye.

His eyes widen and he shifts in his seat, watching as someone with Goro Akechi’s stupid tan jacket walks by the train, just as it kicks into motion.

He falls back into his seat, eyes wide, praying to whoever would listen that it wasn’t a dream; that what he saw was real.

His phone buzzes again.

Akira glances at it, and feels something slot back into place.

 **You:** [2/14, 12:05am] i'll hold onto your glove.

 **Akechi:** [today, 3:09pm] I'll hold you to that. See you soon.

**Author's Note:**

> _we'll see creation come undone  
>  _ _these bones that bound will be gone_  
>  _we'll stir our spirits 'til we're one  
>  _ _then softest shadows will be gone_
> 
> me: idk i dont want a happy ending  
>  alex: do a hopeful ending. please.  
>  me, two days later, staring at google docs and wondering if i should have had akechi get on the train or leave it as was in canon with him showing up outside the train window:
> 
> anyway, find me on [twitter](https://twitter.com/spacedlamp) & [instagram](https://www.instagram.com/lost.lapis/)!


End file.
